Fable High
by Vic Powell
Summary: Fable High is a peaceful place full of welathy people.  But not everyone is as nice as they seem.  Aurora's captain of cheerleading, Tin-Tin is a transfer who hates Snow, and Belle keeps disappearing to the library to see the "Beast" Librarian!  Disney AU
1. Chapter 1

"Belle, you're going to be late for school!"

"Coming Papa!"

Belle put her book down and took her bag, opening the oak door to her room and slipping on her sneakers that she had left outside the door. The teen's dark hair was always tied at the nape of her neck with a blue elastic, caramel colored eyes often focused on the pages of the book in front of her nose. She stayed comfortable in her jeans and light, loose sweaters, form moving silently as if always in a library. A sophomore in Fables High, Belle D'monte was a classic example of an attractive librarian mouse.

"Really Belle, last time you missed the bus you had to use the car, and you know I hate letting you take Philippe for the day."

"Papa, it's a car, to name it is so…"

"It's a _Mustang_, Belle. It deserves a name."

Rolling her eyes, Belle grinned and made sure she had all the library books she needed to return today. Slinging the old messenger bag over her shoulder, she gave her father a kiss, waved to the cat that was sleeping in the window, and closed the door gently, walking the few blocks to the bus stop.

The town was in a fairly rural area, mainly because the lands surrounding the town were all owned by doctors and celebrities. Belle's father had been known to invent things for computer companies every year or two and the money he made and invested turned into a large house in the town. The school was made of elite young men and women, famous teachers, and blooming actresses and talented folk. There was no uniform for the school, but the fashion trends set a new one every year. Belle kept away from trends and stayed with her jeans and thin sweaters over t-shirts. It was comfortable and begrudgingly accepted by everyone as "always in fashion".

At the bus stop Belle saw her friends Aurora and Ella talking to the Football captain Phillip and the top archer on the team, Charles. Aurora set the trends every year with the money her father- a famous movie and musical director- earned, and this year's fashion was a white blouse, light grey vest, and a short checkered, pleated colorful skirt. Accepted socks were knee or thigh high pastels with Mary Jane's that went with the skirt. Hair was to be kept straight and out of the face, the favored shade being gold or bronze. Aurora's skirt was baby pink plaid with light blue in the lines, sky blue thigh high stockings, and rose colored heeled Mary Jane's. Her hair was straight with a faint curl at the end, a plaid hairband that matched her skirt showing off her flawless skin and blue eyes, keeping her golden hair off her cheeks.

"Belle!"

Ella smiled, waving to the quiet girl. Ella wore various shades of grey in her skirt and vest, a touch of gold and bronze on her black shoes and in her knee high socks. Her hair was in a loose bun, rosy colored cheeks making her appear young and innocent. Belle knew that Ella liked to clean and tend to the birds that her sisters had and most likely had run to the bus stop so she wouldn't miss her ride.

"Good morning Ella, hello Aurora." Belle tipped her head towards her friends and smiled, then looked at Phillip and Charles. Phillip and Charles were cousins whose parents both owned large houses towards the middle of town. Phillip Moore's father was the doctor that tended to the town and surrounding famous people, while his mother worked as the lawyer there. She mostly dealt with invasions of privacy from the celebrities and restraining orders. Charles' father was the mayor of the town and his mother acted as his assistant. They were well liked and kept getting voted in time and time again. In her free time, Charles' mother helped out at the local daycare and church. The two looked similar, around the same height, same cheekbones, same nose, but Phillip's hair was a sandy brown while Charles' was a deep, rich chocolate. Broad shoulders suited both boys well, as did their trim figures. They were often together, best friends if there ever was a pair.

"Good morning Belle," they said in unison, and then started chuckling. Belle smiled and nodded, shifting her bag on her shoulder.

"Did you hear we have a new librarian?" Ella twisted a strand of hair that had escaped her bun and was peeking at Belle, who raised her eyebrows and waited patiently for her to continue. "They say he just started and he's secretly a writer. He lives off in one of the really, really old mansions up north and is supposed to be really grumpy."

"I suppose I'll see him after school then." Belle laughed along with the girls, who knew she worked there part time when she left class.

The bus pulled up and the five students got on, each sitting in their usual seat. Ella and Aurora sat in the back to the left while Phillip and Charles sat on the right of the aisle. Belle sat right behind the driver, the quietest part of the bus, and read.

When they got to school, Aurora and Ella went to the gymnasium for their first class, gym. Normally they took the excuse to practice cheer leading and thought up new cheers for the team. Belle had Math first and dreaded it, but went slowly into the classroom. Inside were a few people she talked to; Ariel and Mulan, the foreign exchange students, and Kiara, who seemed less than happy to be there.

Ariel was mooning over Eric Caspian while Mulan combed her long hair, looking wistfully out the window. Ariel's red locks and blue eyes attracted many pairs of eyes from the football players, but she was dating the soccer team's main forward, Eric. She dressed in teals and blues, but her jewelry was full of seashells and charms. Mulan was pondering Li Shang, the captain of the fencing team, and wondering if she should try out for the sport and irritate her father or do what she was told and just study to be set up in an arranged marriage, like her father kept telling her was the "family tradition". Eyeing her make up that came from China, where she was from, she took out a lip stick and applied the dark color, which had the consistency of thick paint.

"Hello everyone," Belle said, taking a seat by the window next to Ariel. The bubbly girl smiled and toyed with a long strand of hair, humming as she did. Ariel was the lead soprano singer of the chorus and spent most of her time humming or being told to hush while in class.

"So are you going to the library today after school?"

"Oh, well, probably. I'll tell Papa later." Belle bit her lower lip sheepishly. "He asked me to do some work at home, but I just want to organize the fantasy section a bit." Belle was a good daughter, but she didn't want to be working all the time and felt bad when her father wanted her to help and she missed the musty smell of the library.

"You do too much, you know." Ariel toyed with a flower Eric had given her, humming and twirling it about in her fingers. "I wish I could be such a good daughter. But Daddy annoys me too much. He doesn't like Eric at all." She sighed, blowing a puff of air up towards her bangs.

John Rolfe ran into the door just as the bell rang, breathing heavily and clutching at his shirt. "Sorry… sorry… didn't… mean to be late…" He groaned, taking a seat next to the door and collapsing into it.

"You're fine, John." Shaking his head, Mr. Grey took out his book so he could start teaching the students some more algebra.

Five minutes after class started, Kovu walked in, his deeply tanned skin always drawing a couple looks from people. He wore band t-shirts under unbuttoned checkered shirts, low riding jeans, and acted as if he could do whatever he wanted. Moving towards the back, he took a seat and then produced a phone, which he began to play games on quietly.

Belle sighed, thinking about how she was so terrible at math. She came an hour earlier than the rest of the class so she could get extra tutoring in but she still had been requested to stay back a year for a bit, just to make sure she'd be fine when she went to the regular class if she passed the midterm. And another day of algebra! She was glad that soon she could take the test again to get out of freshman math.

While Math was happening for Belle, Aurora and Ella were working on the latest pyramid that they wanted to perform for the next pep rally. Ella was wispier than Aurora so she was the top of the pyramid, but the preppy girl lead the squad so she didn't have to do any work for their practices except instruct and sometimes help if a girl was sick.

"Ella, come on now, stop looking like a coward. Confidence is key!" Aurora lifted her arms and tried to make Ella understand to do the same. The young woman feebly did as she was instructed and lifted her arms, but was trembling so badly that she slipped from the hands holding her feet, lost her balance, and tumbled down, shrieking and flailing the whole way until Charles half caught her and half broke her fall.

Groaning, Aurora went to see what was happening. She saw that Charles was cradling the upper half of Ella's form, stroking her hair softly and murmuring it'd be alright. Smiling in an appreciative way, Aurora thanked him and told the team that they'd take the day off, but not to forget their stretches and to run a bit. She went with Charles and Aurora to the nurse's office to make sure that Ella was going to be alright.

After class, Belle walked to the bus stop near the school and stood there reading quietly, patiently waiting for the bus. When it came she swiped her pass and took the seat nearest to the front door, continuing to read until the driver said they were at the library. Stepping down from the rumbling vehicle, Belle slipped her book into the messenger bag and took the steps to the large oak doors that blocked out a good deal of sound in the quiet, dusty library.

Pulling one of the doors open slowly, she slipped in and tugged it shut behind her, walking to the counter and placing the books she had taken out last week there, smiling at the lowered head that must belong to the new librarian.

"Good afternoon Sir," she murmured, waiting for him to lift his head or respond. He didn't, and just kept at what he was doing. Taken aback, Belle didn't try to say anything else and just went to the section of books she intended to organize, lips a bit pursed as she tried to watch the man out of the corner of her eye to see if he'd lift his head so she could catch a glance of what he looked like.

A/N: I've started a new story about princes and princesses from Disney and such, giving them a modern twist and such. It has just started, but I hope that I've touched on enough characters to keep people interested. There are more and there will be a few plots running around all at once, so I hope this makes people interested and they'll be looking forward to the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Towards the end of October, the students of Fable High were all abuzz about a new student who had transferred into the sophomore class. Flicking the high bun her hair was in, the small girl glared at the females and pouted at the males. She wore a short green dress with a matching top that hugged her torso, an overlaid layer of gauze flowing around her arms, elastic closing around her wrists to keep it where it was supposed to be. High heels, a length of white leather with bells at the end that held her sunny yellow hair in place, narrow brows drawn downwards constantly, generously curved hips, and thick red lipstick were notable traits on this pixie bodied girl. She was first spotted by Snow, who was working in Home Economics with Miss Giselle, both humming to themselves as they sewed.

Snow's midnight colored hair was kept at her chin and curled slightly inwards, a red ribbon in her locks accenting her naturally ruby colored lips. Her skin was so pale that it almost glowed, and her yellow skirt highlighted with navy blue came to her knees, cerulean socks and black shoes all complimenting one another. Snow was a freshman who spent most of her time with Giselle, the teacher who when she wasn't teaching worked at the shop she ran down the street. They had a lot in common, both die hard romantics who liked to sing when it was quiet and whom enjoyed sewing and talking about nature.

"Goodness, who is that?" Snow looked up and tilted her head at the girl, a small curious smile growing. "She's very pretty."

Miss Giselle lifted her eyes and looked at the girl, covering her mouth. "Oh dear. She doesn't seem very happy at all."

The new girl heard the others and whipped her head in their direction, glaring before walking on, her bells jingling and her heels clicking as she stalked off towards the principal's office.

"Oh, you must be the new student, Tin-Tin Belleker." The secretary smiled and Tin-Tin stared at her, raising a brow slowly. "Right… well, your transfer papers are right here, so here's your schedule, locker number and combination, and map of the school. If you have any questions, just ask."

Tin-Tin took the things she was given, turned, and left. The secretary stared after her, shaking her head slowly.

The bell rang as Tin-Tin left the office and the hallways were soon full of girls in pleated, plaid skirts and guys in polo shirts and khaki's. Turning to go to the next class on her schedule, Tin-Tin ran into a girl and both fell.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" The girl she knocked into started gathering the papers Tin-Tin dropped and offered them to her, smiling warmly. "I'm Snow, you're the new girl, right?"

Tin-Tin stared at her, brows drawing together as she stood, snatching her papers and stomping her foot. She turned and left Snow there, walking quickly and loudly down the hall. Looking a bit dismayed, Snow picked herself up and began for her next class, English, running into Alice and Kiara on the way.

Alice was only twelve, but because of her intellect had been advanced to her freshman year of high school. She wore a black head band often in her light blonde hair, blue skirts that came to her calves, shiny black shoes, and white blouses, a blue sweater often over them. She was quiet and reserved, often daydreaming when she should be studying, humming and murmuring about cats and rabbits that lived it houses made from daisies. She kept a worn out deck of cards with her and showed an interest in tea parties. Her family was from England, so her peers sometimes teased her playfully about tea time.

"What's the matter, Snow?" Kiara ran her hands through her short, sandy colored hair, smiling toothily at her friend. Kiara made her own fashion trends, so she wore skinny jeans, tight shirts, and a lot of pink jewelry. She was always bickering with Kovu about what he did, but she was often nervous and a bit worried that things weren't going well with his family because the man who raised him, Kiara's father's uncle, got into a fight with her father over the will her grandfather had left.

"Oh, I just… saw someone… and they were very rude." Snow was easily deterred from her happy moods, looking lost and hopeless for long periods of time. Alice looked up from her journal and tilted her head, watching for a moment before she said anything.

"We can't please everyone all the time, Snow. I wouldn't worry about her, she was probably just nervous about being in a new place."

Snow smiled, nodding and sighing softly. Alice was probably right. The young girl was always so logical and sensible.

Kovu entered the class and sat down next to the window in the back, grumbling to himself as he stared outside. The teacher sighed, rubbing at her temple lightly. "Kovu, you've already been held back a year. Do you really want to fail this class and be held back again? The year has only started!"

Kovu smirked, raising a pierced brow to the instructor. He didn't say anything, but his attitude was a challenging one. He could handle anything.

Kiara looked back at Kovu, who stared at her and frowned, looking away. They had been friends for a moment as children, until Kovu's mother and Kiara's father had run into them playing together at the park. There was a lot of tension, and both had been forbidden from seeing one another again. They shared some classes, and although Kiara's gentle side showed when she was around Kovu, he all but ignored her, pursing his lips and frowning every time she smiled at him.

"Oh Kiara, you're so lucky to be in love." Snow smiled absently, looking outside at the bright blue sky.

"I-I'm not in love!" Kiara flushed a dark shade, shaking her head. She ran her hands over her hair, sighing. She had cut it in the hopes that Kovu would notice, but he hadn't said a word about it.

Snow took out a book of love poems and began to read, sighing softly to herself as she gazed out the window at nothing in particular.

Tin-Tin walked into History class, throwing her bag down at an empty desk and frowning as she looked the teacher over. He swallowed, raising a hand slowly and beckoning her over. Tin-Tin went to the front of the class and glared at her classmates, waiting for the teacher to speak.

"Everyone, this is Tin-Tin, and she just moved here. She'll be attending Fable High with the rest of you, so be nice to her."

Ella looked up and squeaked, covering her mouth. Belle raised her eyes from her book and took the new girl in, then went back to reading. Aurora lifted a brow and scoffed, smirking. Tin-Tin didn't say anything, instead moving to the seat she had claimed and sitting at it, resting her chin on her hand and staring off to the side, looking as disinterested as one could.

John Rolfe, Phillip, and Gaston sat in the back, each keeping their eyes down on their work. One by one, they slowly looked up, glancing at the new girl and forming their own opinions of her. John Rolfe was scared of her and wished he was in a different class. Phillip didn't like her attitude and looked over at Aurora instead, who smiled sweetly at him before looking back at her notebook. Gaston looked repulsed by her and took out a note, making it into a Chinese football before he flicked it at Belle, who took the note, didn't open it, and slipped it into her bag. He sighed, taking on a similar pose as Tin-Tin and grumbling to himself. Lately Belle had spent all her time with her nose in books or at the library.

During Lunch Belle, Aurora, Ella, Phillip, Charles, Gaston, and John Rolfe all sat with each other and talked about nothing in particular. Aurora and Ella were very well liked in the school and popular, while Belle was a wallflower who everyone looked at, but no one tried interrupting her when she was reading, Phillip and Charles were equally popular with their peers, Gaston was the pretty boy who spent his weekends hunting, and John Rolfe… No one quite knew why he was there, but he was sweet and had a curious mind, always trying to learn more and more. His hair was shaggy, an auburn color, and he spent the majority of his time talking about history. He had good stories to tell and was very funny, which lightened the mood of the table daily.

"So what do you think about that new girl?" Aurora nibbled at her apple, looking over the curve of it at everyone there.

"She'll be old news soon," Belle said softly, turning the page in her book.

"She's got an ugly face," Gaston said, smirking proudly at his insult.

"She scares me," Ella and John Rolfe said, both laughing to themselves after.

"She needs to relax," Phillip commented, while Charles just shrugged.

"I don't think she'll keep that attitude too long," Aurora said, but she sighed and toyed with a strand of hair. "Ella, are you doing anything this weekend? I thought we could go over some new cheers."

Ella and Aurora talked about cheerleading while Gaston tried to get Belle away from her book. Charles and Phillip listened to John talk about holidays and history, making the two males laugh.

In the corner of the cafeteria, Tin-Tin sat alone, eating some nuts and berries, looking for her sandwich. She glared at Aurora, fuming a bit. She had good hearing and every word Aurora said, Tin-Tin heard and mulled over. She still hadn't spoken a word yet, but when she did, she'd make sure they'd sink right in.

A/N: Yay chapter two! Some more characters come in, a bit of depth added to a few hopefully? There are still some characters to come, and then I'll probably focus on individual stories in the area. Here's hoping! I hope you all enjoy what I've done so far.


	3. Chapter 3

Nicholas sighed, staring off into the empty space of the football field. His chestnut colored hair and brown eyes made him seem as normal as any other male there, his strong jaw and sensitive side giving him an air of importance. Toying with a quill, he ran the ticklish feather over his nose, thinking about the girl he was in love with, but never spoke to.

"At it again, Nicky?" Flynn Rider grabbed a chair, spun it around, and leaned against the back of it, slapping Nicholas on the back. The sensitive male jumped, dropping his feather. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to scare you. Everything alright?"

"I was just thinking… what does a person have to do to get the attention of a girl?" Nicholas looked at Flynn almost pleadingly, begging him to give him an answer.

"Uh, well, in my case, I'd swoop in, give her "the smolder", then sweep her off her feet, onto the dance floor, and then to my car." Flynn showed his friend a winning smile, to which Nicholas laughed and covered his mouth. "…I wasn't kidding," he grumbled, running a hand through his hair. "So which beauty has your eye here?"

"Oh, um, she.. well.. I mean.." Nicholas sighed, twirling the feather between his fingers again. "It'… it's.. it's Snow."

"Ahhh, that one. She's beautiful and enjoys doing simple tasks. So sweet. I'd make sure she wasn't secretly a murderer." Flynn grinned, then ducked the playful swat Nicholas aimed for him. "Easy, easy! I'm sure that one look at you and she'll swoon. You just have to approach her."

"How can I? She's so… perfect. Like a rose. Warm petals that invite you in, but thorns that scream at you that all you can do is look without getting hurt." Nicholas put his head in his hands. Flynn sighed and rubbed a hand over his friend's back. Nicholas was the son of a famous couple that stayed out of the tabloids, so they weren't always spoken of, but they had a decent amount of money. Nicholas wanted to be a writer like his mother, but he loved poems like his father.

Mulan and Rapunzel, known as Raptuse to Flynn, stepped into the room, giggling to themselves and talking about a road trip they wanted to take during Spring Break. Mulan's porcelain features made her appear beautiful and doll like, but her short hair showed that she was defying her father and his rules. She wore skirts with pink, red, and blue in them, a white blouse, and red Mary Jane's. Rapunzel loved purples and golds and wore them often, her long golden colored hair kept tied away from danger with braid upon braid laid over it, the effect almost a disaster. Flynn vaguely wished she would cut it, thinking she'd look better, but knew that until the hair stretched to five feet, Raptuse wouldn't dare cut a hair.

"What are you two talking about?" Raptuse sat next to Flynn, a lovely floral scent filling his nose. He leaned over towards her, smiling slyly. "Ew, did you get hit in the head, Flynn?"

"A-alright children, let's start…" Their teacher, Ichabod Crane, was a nervous and twitchy man who taught their Junior history class. He tapped on the podium and adjusted his tie, swallowing. "Now who can tell me why Russia…"

By this point Mulan had zoned out of the class. She was terrible at math, great in history, and she loved fencing. She wanted to challenge Li Shang to a duel, but could never find him! The mysterious Asian was always with Aladdin or Naveen, and both were always with Eric. She grumbled, thankful that they all at least had lunch together. Today, she promised herself, today she'd ask him to allow her to duel with him!

"Mulan? Miss Mulan?" Mr. Crane stared at the spirited girl, who snapped out of her daze and stared blankly at him. "Do you know the answer to the question?"

"Uhhh…" Mulan sighed, looking down at her desk. Her phone buzzed and a small red dragon swirled on her screen. "Mushuu!"

"No… no, not quite…" Mr. Crane sighed, calling on Nicholas instead.

Mushuu was the name of an app for the new androids and acted as a wise Chinese dragon. The only problem was, he also had a lot of jokes on his program as well. He was helpful sometimes, but Mulan felt the app could use some updating.

During Lunch, Aladdin rushed through the line, snatching extra food and scurrying past the security guard that stood near the door. He called out to the scamp, but the boy ran and sat with his friends Eric, Naveen, and Li Shang.

Aladdin's friends laughed at all the food he had. The lad was an orphan and a scholarship student, which meant he had to keep his grades up and work for his expenses. He often took more food than he was allowed and was always in trouble for one thing or another.

"You can really eat, Al!" Naveen looked at all the food his friend had, letting out a low whistle. "Going to practice after lunch then?"

"Mmm, yeah. Gotta train some more." Aladdin kept his scholarship by doing the long jump and jumping over the bar, which he was splendid at. He just had to keep doing well. "C'mere Abu." Aladdin reached into his pocket, where a long tailed sugar glider grabbed onto his fingers, clinging and chirring as it smelled fruit. Sitting on the table, Abu ate and stared up at the small guitar Naveen had. He started to strum it, waiting for an old fashioned flute to join in, which did shortly. The sugar glider, terrified, hopped back into Al's pocket and buried itself there for safe keeping.

"Oh, hey Eric. Shang." Al raised a hand in greeting to the Fencing captain and flute's main player in the band. The two sat down and began eating. Eric had brought sea food with him, while Shang had rice and fried eggs.

"Al." Shang ate slowly, closing his eyes while he contemplated nothing in particular. He almost felt Mulan behind him before he heard her cough, and slowly he turned his head. "Yes?"

Mulan stood there blushing, wringing her hands as she looked down at the sitting male. "Uh. Well, I was wondering.. if you… would.. duel.. duel.. uh.. that is.." She was stumbling over her words, so much that Shang raised his eyebrows, curious now as he set his fork down. "I mean.. uh… wouldyouduelmesometimeplease?"

Shang coughed, clearing his throat. Naveen grinned and Al chuckled while Eric cleaned his flute, smiling faintly. "Duel. You." He stared at her in disbelief, shaking his head. "You could try out for the team, but we are not a social club for silly girls to giggle and talk in." He glared at the young woman , who in return stared at him, pursing her lips. "If you want to practice, come on Wednesday afternoon. Wear comfortable pants and don't show off too much skin. We have practice from three until five thirty, so plan ahead." He turned back around, all but dismissing Mulan. She mumbled something and turned around, going back to her friend Pocahontas.

Pocahontas combed her hair slowly, humming lightly as she looked up at Mulan. The two sat together most days and talked about nothing in particular. Pocahontas smiled, raising a brow. "I take it went well then?"

"He said they practice on Wednesdays." She sat and grinned, bouncing slightly in her seat as she ran her hands through her hair. "So I guess tomorrow I'll head down!"

"Congrats." Pocahontas seemed a little distracted as she looked at her phone, sighing.

"What's the matter Pookah?" Mulan called her that sometimes, teasing and playing with her friend.

"Oh, it's John… He wants me to meet him after school today."

"Which one?"

Pocahontas blushed. She knew that John Rolfe had an interest in her, the young sophomore, but she was currently dating John Smith, a college sophomore. "Smith of course. John Rolfe is just a puppy, he has no idea of how to treat a woman."

"Oh, so you're a woman now?"

"More of one than you are!"

Mulan and Pocahontas splashed a bit of water at one another, giggling and letting out tiny shrieks. They drew the attention of Aurora's group briefly, but soon they were left alone.

After school, Aladdin said good bye to Eric as he went to meet Ariel so she could watch him practice, Naveen went to womanize in the town, and Shang started back for his home, where they had a dojo he practiced in. The young man walked down the street and let Abu out, the sugar glider perching on his shoulder and enjoying the air.

"Come on Abu, let's go back to that house on the outskirts of town. I heard there was a pretty homeschooled girl there."

The glider rolled its eyes and held on tightly to his owner's shirt. Al often did this, wander around to the houses to find out who lived there and what they had discarded that he could put to use. He was staying in a room he rented over the local coffee shop, coming and going as he pleased.

A long walk brought him to the large house near the edge of town. There were large tracks of land and lush bushes over a wall. Climbing it, Aladdin sat quietly at the top, eating an apple he had pinched from lunch and giving tiny pieces to Abu.

Standing near a fountain was a beautiful young woman. Her raven colored hair was bound a few times, but still trailed down to her hips. She wore blue shorts, a sports bra, and looked as if she had been exercising. A large cat, the size of a dog, paced around her, its markings making it appear to be a small tiger.

"Oh Rajah, was that work out too much for you?" The girl teased the cat and it seemed to scoff, climbing up onto the edge of the fountain and lounging there in the sun.

"Woooow… look at that Abu. She's gorgeous." Al couldn't take his eyes off her and stared for a long time. So long that the bodyguards that roamed the grounds saw him.

"Get down from there you street rat!" They shouted a few more things at Al, and as he jumped from the wall he caught the girl's eye and grinned, waving.

"Who was that?" Jasmine toyed with a strand of hair, talking to the head of the bodyguards, who had been the one to see Al.

"Just the local rat here… Don't worry about him, Miss Jasmine." The guard patted her shoulder as he walked by, grumbling to himself about the people that tried to get into the yard. "Probably a cheap paparazzi," he muttered.

Aladdin ran back to his room, laughing as Abu gave up on fresh air and scampered back down to his pocket. As he passed the local shops, he saw Naveen hitting on the waitress there. She looked really overworked, around their age, but tired. He wondered what she was doing there, but it was a fleeting thought as he jumped up the stairs to his comfy home.

It wasn't perfect, but it would do. There was a curtain over the window that moths had feasted on, a worn out mattress and a couple blankets in the corner, and a microwave, sink, toaster oven, and bathroom that he could use. The rest was all downstairs, but Al was allowed to use the stove, fridge, shower, and everything else as long as he kept it all clean.

For now though, he would do his homework, heat up some dinner, and then go to bed. Tomorrow would be another day, and he intended to visit that girl again, hoping this time, he'd get her name.

A/N: These will probably be the main three introductory chapters. From now on I think I'll focus on particular stories. Maybe some will overlay one another. I hope you all enjoy what I've gotten so far!


	4. Beauty and the Beast

Belle sat at the window in the secluded room, staring out at the garden. Behind the library roses grew, all colors and sizes. It was Belle's favorite room of the quiet building because it was tucked in the corner, detached, and fairly empty, which meant no one ever wanted to go there. She could hum quietly to herself in here without being disturbed. The room was done in gold and white, with long velvet curtains that could be drawn if the sun became too much or it got too cold.

The other perk of this room was that the librarian, who Belle referred to as Beast, but was really called Vincent Frost, stayed as far away from her as possible, and in this room she could relax and he could work at the main desk. He kept his head down for the most part and Belle didn't mind, for she had seen a peek or two of him before. Shaggy dark brown hair, rimless glasses, a bit of stubble on his jaw, and clouded eyes were about all she saw of him. He seemed to always be working on something, but whether it was writing, entering data, or organizing the computer and files though, Belle wouldn't know.

She went to the shelf she had taken over with the books she wanted to read, taking down a couple different ones and spreading them out. She licked her lips, looking over the books almost hungrily. Belle began to study Shakespeare's biography, muttering to herself about her father's car. She didn't know why he took so much care of it and it was starting to worry her. He practically lived out of it these days, traveling on business all the time. She was worried his GPS would give out one day.

As Belle was thinking about her father, a sudden sound startled her. It was the theme song to Phantom of the Opera, blaring from her little phone she had left on the table. Letting out a surprised sound, she swallowed, grabbing the phone and hanging up from the call. She groaned, realizing it was her father, and flipped the phone on its side so she could text him instead.

"Sorry Papa, what did you want? I left my phone on and am in the library."

"What was that noise?" Standing in the doorway, the librarian glared at the girl. He knew she stayed there a lot and worked when she wasn't studying, but that annoying song had finally brought him to her hideaway. "Those books…" He scowled, going over to the shelf and taking some of them down. "I knew they hadn't gotten far." Turning, he glared at Belle, who stared up at him and pursed her lips.

"I'm sorry, my phone went off. I forgot to put it on silent." Belle looked a bit embarrassed, biting the inside of her lower lip. "And I was reading those books."

"You can read them when you take them out of the library." Frowning, Frost began to walk away from Belle. She pursed her lips, waiting until he left before she stuck her tongue out. She sighed, untying her hair and running her hands through it. She fastened it once more and stayed in the library quietly until it closed, leaving before the librarian and taking a seat outside. Belle felt a bit annoyed. She hadn't checked a book out in weeks because of this man. He truly was a beast! She paced back and forth outside, giving her father a call, then another when he didn't pick up.

As Belle was calling her father, she saw a shiny Mercedes pull up next to the library. She saw the librarian walk out towards it, pulling a fedora low over his brow, and enter the car, slamming the door and leaving. Curious, Belle stared after him, but she finally connected to her father on the phone.

"Papa!"

"Belle, finally. I forgot you were at the library. I was calling to say I'll be out of town for a month or so, I have a project that a company is very interested in and will be there discussing the final details before it's put out."

"Really Papa? A month?"

"Oh I know it'll be lonely… I've left you a card on the table so you can get food and such. There's no limit on it, but don't go overboard on books, alright?"

Belle sighed but nodded. "Yes Papa. I'll be home soon then. Have you left already?"

"Of course not. I want to see my daughter before I go!"

Belle smiled and took the bus back home, then set her bag down as her father hugged her. She held onto him tightly, biting her lip and wishing him well with his project. He patted her hair and gave her the number of where he'd be, told her the bills had already been taken care of, and said if she had some friends over he wouldn't mind, but no parties.

Once he was gone, Belle looked around the empty house. She had been thinking about it for a while, but she wanted a cat. They were so much easier to handle than dogs and took care of themselves for the most part. She twirled some strands of hair over her finger, then looked at the garage. Her father had told her she could use the spare car while he was gone and she inspected it, eyeing the red Ford 2XL Escort. She shook her head, smiling. Leave it to her father to have a two door that looked like a sports car lying around. She took the keys and called Ella, asking if she wanted to go with her to the pet store.

"Well I mean I'd love to Belle, really I would, but…"

"Chores again?"

"Yes…"

"That's awful. You should come to my place this weekend, we'll make it a girls' night."

After saying good bye Belle tried to call Aurora, but she was too busy to go anywhere. Finally she called Ariel and swung by her house to pick up the red haired girl.

"Eric's busy so I had nothing to do; I'm glad you called!"

Belle drove to the local pet store and parked, slipping her father's Platinum card into her wallet. It felt odd in there but she ignored it, looking around the store and letting out a low whistle. Since the family didn't have any pets, she never went into the store.

"Oooh, kittens!" Ariel bounced over to them and Belle slowly followed, looking at the pudgy and sweet looking things. She smiled, examining each one, but she was inching towards the young cats, leaving Ariel to cuddle a rust colored tabby.

After looking the cats over, Belle spotted a young silver tabby that was snoozing in the corner. She didn't notice the shadow next to her and took a step to her left, bumping into someone.

"Oh, sorr-" she paused, looking up at Vincent Frost, eyes widening. She rarely saw him in the first place, but to bump into him and catch him off guard was completely different. They stared at each other and she took in his sharp features, dark hair, and surprised expression before his brow furrowed, he scowled, then muttered about kids not knowing where they were going before he moved on. The tabby had woken up and was staring at Belle, but made no move to stand up. After staring at him for a bit longer she called a clerk over and said she wanted the tabby.

Ariel was still trying to get the attention of all the kittens while Belle bought the young tom, which had already adjusted to her holding him and was stretched out over her shoulder. As she was paying for the creature and the supplies she'd need, she saw Mr. Frost leaving, pulling his hat down over his eyes again. Belle watched him go, tilting her head and pursing her lips briefly.

Belle finally dragged Ariel away from the kittens and put her in charge of the cat on the way home. The sun was starting to set and she asked if the younger girl wanted to eat. They stopped at a fast food place and sat outside, Belle's cat on her lap, sneaking bits of meat that his owner dropped.

The teens said good bye when Belle dropped Ariel off, then the cat and his new owner went home. After setting up a food bowl, water bowl, and litter box, Belle took the cat she ingeniously named Cat to her room and stretched out on her bed, the feline soon joining her after he finished exploring the room.

In the coming week Belle had a lot of fun staying home and playing with Cat, reading books she had forgotten about, forgetting about the library. But finally on Friday she went out after class and dropped by the library to take out a book on cat care, a few pictures of Cat on her phone. When she went in Mr. Frost's head jerked up and he almost looked relieved. Raising a brow, Belle went to the section she wanted and thumbed through the books, looking for the most recent and informative copy.

"I thought you weren't going to come back."

Startled, Belle spun around and saw Frost standing behind her. She relaxed, letting out a breath. "I needed a book," she muttered.

"Are you going to keep working here?"

Belle felt a light tinge of pink enter her cheeks as she thought about it. "You have things under control here, Mister Frost."

"It gets rather lonely," he whispered. Belle swallowed, running her fingers over her hair.

"I don't want to leave Cat alone too long."

"Bring him here then."

Belle looked up at Frost, holding the book she had chosen close to her chest. He looked a bit troubled and she tilted her head, but after a moment she said, "I'll set up a spot for him in the white room." She was startled again when Frost smiled, but it quickly disappeared. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Frost nodded and let her check out the book she wanted, watching her leave with a sad expression on his features.

Belle went home and on Saturday she brought Cat with her to the library. After exploring everywhere that he could get and eating a couple spiders, he settled down with Belle in the white room. Without her noticing, Frost had come to join them and was working quietly in a corner, typing on a laptop. Cat went from the spot next to Belle on the couch to winding himself around Frost's feet before going back to his owner. An hour or so before the library closed someone came in and said in a rather loud voice to Belle's ears, "Hello? Is the library open?"

She was so startled by the voice she dropped her book, eyes widening. Frost looked a bit alarmed, but didn't drop his laptop. They looked at each other, Belle looking surprised and shocked, Frost glancing away guiltily.

"I'd like to check out a book please."

"I'll handle it," Belle said, picking her book up and standing. Cat hopped up, following after Belle and finding a stack of papers to sit on at the desk. After Belle helped the stray customer, she sat there for a few minutes and looked at the book that had been taken out. It was by a new author, simply known as VFG. Belle had heard of him and read all the books he published, but there was never any information about the author in the cover sleeves. She pursed her lips and went back into the white room, taking out some History to work on, not noticing that Frost was glancing over his laptop to watch her, a smile tugging at his lips.

The next day after Belle put away the books that had been returned she curled up on the couch to do some more History work, grumbling and groaning at the papers and books.

"Need some help Miss Belle?"

"Oh, Mister Frost. What do you know about the American Civil War?"

"Rather boring, short, and a fight between two sides of the same coin. Why?"

"Well I have this report to do on it…"

"Let me see if I can help."

Before Belle knew it the day was half done and she had enjoyed it all with Vincent Frost. He glanced at his watch at a quarter past three and looked a bit alarmed, laughing softly under his breath. "I have some work of my own to do, Belle. Can you handle the rest of the report on your own?"

Blushing, Belle nodded, puffing her cheeks out in a teasing way. Cat was snoozing next to Frost's laptop, which he offered to let her type on. She took his offer and turned the machine on, setting it on her lap as she began to start Microsoft Word. She was about to play with the font when a silent alarm started on the laptop and warned her that the next chapter of the book was due next week. Confused, she paused the alarm and it opened a document titled "VFG- Change of Heart". She skimmed the first couple of paragraphs and realized that it was the third book in a series she was reading by the author LFG. She stared at the screen for a long moment and the absence of typing drew Vincent back to the room. He saw Belle's stunned face as she stared at his laptop and he began to feel a bit of cold on the back of his neck.

"…You're VFG?"

He stared at the girl and his laptop, mouth working to form a sentence. But finally he could only manage to say, rather coldly, "You went through my things."

"No, I- it-"

"Get out. _Now_."

Belle stared at Frost, but his expression had hardened, his gaze smoldering and his hands tightening into fists. She looked alarmed and gathered half her books, grabbed Cat, and fled the library before he could say anything else. As she drove home, her mind reeled. Vincent Frost was VFG? But what did the G stand for? She wanted to know. As she pulled in and took out her keys, she let her mind wander. Cat slinked about her ankles, begging for attention while Belle cooked, but she was barely paying him any mind.

At eight o'clock the doorbell rang and Belle rose from her chair in the living room to answer the door. She was surprised to see Vincent standing outside, his fedora pulled down low, long coat concealing most of his body.

"Yes…?"

"You left some of your things today." He sounded a bit awkward and Belle opened the door slowly, waiting for him to offer her things. He shifted and she looked down, seeing a bouquet of roses in his hand. He offered them to her and she blushed, taking them slowly. "I'm sorry I told you to get out. I saw the alarm had gone off."

"It's fine. Would you like to come in?"

Frost nodded and stepped into the house, hanging up his coat and hat. Belle made tea for them and they sat in silence for almost ten minutes before Frost offered a word of conversation. "I moved here after my publisher said a successful author shouldn't be living in a cramped apartment in the sticks."

"Do you like it here?"

"I enjoy the library."

"Why were you at the pet store looking at cats?"

"It's lonely where I am. I thought a cat might bring me some companionship."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty nine." He blushed at this and Belle raised a brow.

"Why do you use VFG when you write?"

"Vladimir France… Guilty."

"Guilty?"

Frost shifted awkwardly and rubbed at the back of his neck, saying nothing. Belle bit her lip but didn't ask any more questions. The name Vladimir France was curious and she thought it sounded familiar, but she didn't say anything. Phantom of the Opera began to play on her phone and she jumped, answering it and walking into the kitchen to talk to her father. He was doing well, the project was going forward as planned, and he'd be back in two weeks. Belle congratulated him and wished him well before hanging up. When she went back into the living room Vincent had turned on Phantom of the Opera, Music of the Night, and had a rose in his hand for Belle. She blushed and took the rose, tucking it into her hair and allowing herself to be swept away into a waltz by Frost.

After the dance Belle took a step away from Frost and smiled awkwardly, looking away from him. "I uh, have school tomorrow. You should probably go."

Frost looked as if he was going to say something, but he held back and muttered he'd see her at the library when she wanted to work. He left quietly and Belle sighed, taking the roses upstairs and putting them in a vase in her window. Cat slept with her that night but she barely slumbered, her thoughts occupied with the strange, mysterious librarian.

"It's just not fair, why is she giving him all the attention and not me?"

Gaston sat with his lackey Nabu, who was listening and nodding his head vigorously, patting Gaston's shoulder.

"She's just being nice I bet, Gaston. Take her out for a night on the town, show her your charm, she'll be your's by the weekend!"

Gaston smirked, knowing Nabu was right. Who wanted an old goat when a young stallion was right there?

Belle sat in Study Hall, blankly staring out the window. Ariel and Aurora were in seats next to her, Kiara and Alice sitting nearby, and Ella was in front of her. All of them were staring, save for Alice, who was also looking out the window.

"What's wrong with her?" Ella looked as if she was going to poke Belle, but Ariel brushed her hand away.

"She's in love."

"With who?"

"Vladi-Vincent." Belle finally looked at them, but she was frowning a bit. "And I am not in love with him, I just wonder why he changed his name."

"What was it before?"

"Vladimir France."

"The killer?"

Everyone turned to look at Alice, who was still staring out the window. Belle recovered first and swallowed, laughing softly. "What was that, Alice?"

"Vladimir France was rumored to have killed ten children, then ran away and used up all the money he stole from their parents to get plastic surgery from the black market. He disappeared without a trace and no one's been able to track him down since. That was five years ago."

The attention was back on Belle, but the expressions were mixed; pity, fear, and worry. Belle looked down at her lap, shifted uncomfortably in her chair, then left for the computer lab. Gaston watched her go, the moved to sit next to Alice and pry for more information about the supposed killer.

In the computer lab Belle looked up Vladimir France. She found out he had worked as a librarian in a small town and was accused of killing ten of the children who went to a class there in the course of a year. The children would go missing, as would any family jewels, and their bodies all turned up in the basement of the library. But before his trial he disappeared, and no one had found him since.

Belle looked up when VFG's books started coming out; two years after France disappeared. She chewed the inside of her lip and went back to study hall, freezing at the sight. Gaston had gotten all the student's attention, the teacher, and people from other classes were poking their heads in to listen curiously.

"He's a monster, a despicable fiend! He amassed his fortune from the families whose children he murdered. It could be your brother next, your fortunes he'll steal, and then he'll disappear again! We have to stop this monster, this beast! I say we go find out a bit more about our new librarian!"

Belle turned to go, but Gaston told one of the kids to grab her. They did and he scowled, going over to her and taking her arm. "And you, little miss Belle, will not be letting the Beast know we're coming. Come on, you'll ride with me."

Gaston took Belle to his car and locked her into it, taking the driver's side and opening the glove compartment. A small pistol was in there and he held it close, muttering as he did about shooting the monster. She was horrified and shocked, but couldn't do anything just yet. Gaston had a crazy glint in his eye and she was afraid of what he'd do if she tried to stop him.

Vincent was typing for his new book when the library door burst open and Gaston shouted, "Vladimir France, come out quietly. A little bird told us allllll about your past."

Vincent jerked up and looked at Gaston, who had a gun in one hand and Belle in the other. He reached over to the phone to call the police, but Gaston pointed the gun at his hand. "Oh no Mister France, no police for you. I've already called them and told them we have Vladimir France holed up in the library."

Gaston grinned and cocked his gun. Vincent froze, but he wasn't looking at the gun or its holder. He was looking at Belle, who looked confused and lost.

"I didn't do it," he whispered, and Belle's gaze lifted towards his. "The other librarian framed me. He was really-"

"Enough!" Gaston pointed the gun at Frost and fired. The sound echoed in the room and Belle let out a shriek at the sight of blood. Vincent staggered back and Gaston looked shocked that he had hit his target. He frowned when he realized he only got the man in his arm and let go of Belle so he could get a better aim, not having expected the gun to have a kick.

Once released, Belle ran to Vincent and stood next to him, looking at his bleeding arm. Gaston growled at her, lowering his gun slightly. "You'd pick him, an insane murderer, over me?"

"He said he didn't do it," she said, frowning. "I believe him."  
>Gaston looked furious and began to advance on the pair, but Vincent lunged at the gun and swatted it from Gaston's hand. Two shots were fired before he could though and Vincent fell. Belle screamed as police barged into the scene.<p>

A few weeks later Belle opened the library and Cat followed, perching on the main desk and purring contently. Fresh roses were sitting in a vase and all the work had been done. Books were put away, the website was updated, and the quiet building seemed to be waiting. Slowly, the main door opened and a man walked in, an arm bandaged, a fedora on his head, and a faint smile on his face.

"Are you trying to take my job?"

"I might be."

Belle blushed a bright and happy shade of pink as she saw Vincent, then stood and embraced him warmly. After the police came, Gaston was arrested for shooting a person, firing in a public place, having a weapon, and endangering others. The police listened to Vincent's story and went to find his friend. As it turns out he had gone to another town to repeat his crimes and was not hard to catch this time. Vladimir Frost was cleared of all charges, although the judge was not happy he had ran from them. He was allowed to stay where he was with his job and no one would come looking for him. Belle had spent most of her time in the hospital with him and the library had been allowed to reopen that day. Belle was spending more time there than her father felt was normal, but he had seen why when she invited Vincent to dinner and they all enjoyed a lovely evening together. He wondered how much Belle would fall for the man, but was glad to be home. He promised to never leave for a month on business, there was no telling what trouble Belle would get into! Cat was comfortable though, since Belle and Vincent were so close. He had the ability to steal either lap!

"I'm glad you're out of the hospital."

"Why? You didn't like sneaking kisses when the nurses had their heads turned?"

"I was more worried they'd try to put the moves on you when they realized just who you were."

Vincent smirked and put an arm around Belle, holding her close. The truth had come out and it was known all over town that the mysterious VFG was their librarian. Leaning down, he stroked the back of his fingers over Belle's cheek before he pressed his lips to hers, enjoying a kiss before the first customer came in to check out a book. Since the shooting and truth of the librarian came out, the building was receiving many more visitors!

"You know, when I first met you, I thought you were a terrible beast."

"Oh really? You don't know how much of a beast I can be!"

Shrieking with laughter, Belle tried to fend off the "beast" as he stole another kiss from her, helpless to his charms now.

A/N: I love Beauty and the Beast, it's one of my favorite stories of all time. I figured I should do a whole story per chapter since the introductions are done and I wanted this one to be first. I hope you all liked it! I'm doing Alice in Wonderland next.


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